Shocks Galore in Last 32

P Coll
23 hours ago
6 min read

Gakpo Scores Through Tears — Morocco Beat the Netherlands

The most emotional moment of the Round of 32 came in the match between the Netherlands and Morocco in Monterrey, Mexico, on 29 June. Two days before the match, Dutch striker Cody Gakpo and his partner announced that they had lost their unborn son. The news shocked the football world.

Gakpo could have gone home to be with his family. Instead, he chose to play. In the 72nd minute, he scored — pointing to the sky after the ball went in. His teammates ran to embrace him. Many people watching on television were in tears.

The Netherlands led 1-0, but Morocco equalised in the final minute of normal time with a dramatic header from Issa Diop. The match went to extra time and then to a penalty shootout. In the shootout, there were four missed penalties — the most missed in a single World Cup shootout in history. Morocco won 3-2. The Netherlands — one of the tournament favourites — were eliminated.

After the match, Gakpo spoke quietly about his decision to play. His Dutch teammates said they were proud of him. Morocco marched on into the Round of 16.

Story 2: Paraguay Shock Germany in a Penalty Shootout

Germany are one of the greatest football nations in the world. They have won the World Cup four times. So when they faced Paraguay in the Round of 32, almost nobody expected Paraguay to win. But football does not always follow the script.

The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes. It went to a penalty shootout. Paraguay's goalkeeper, Antony Silva, was outstanding. He saved two penalties — one from Kai Havertz and one from Nick Woltemade. Paraguay won the shootout 4-3.

The Paraguay players celebrated wildly. For Germany, it was a painful exit. They had already beaten Curaçao 7-1 and Ivory Coast 2-1 in the group stage, and everyone expected them to go far in the tournament. It was one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 World Cup so far.

Paraguay are now a real dark horse in the competition. They came third in their group and beat one of the world's best teams to reach the last 16. Their next match is against France.

Belgium's Incredible Comeback Against Senegal

On 1 July in Seattle, Belgium played Senegal in one of the most dramatic matches of the round. Senegal played brilliantly. They scored first through Habib Diarra in the 25th minute, and then Ismaïla Sarr made it 2-0 just after half-time. With 40 minutes to play, Senegal looked comfortable.

Then, Belgium fought back. Striker Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute to make it 2-1. Three minutes later, Youri Tielemans equalised. The game went to extra time. Then, deep in extra time, the referee gave Belgium a penalty after a VAR review — a decision that many people thought was harsh. Tielemans scored from the spot to make it 3-2, and Belgium advanced to the Round of 16.

Senegal were heartbroken. They had been so close to reaching the last 16 for the second time in their history. Their players sat on the pitch in silence after the final whistle. Many of their fans were also in tears.

Belgium had lost 2-0 with just five minutes of normal time remaining and still won the match. It showed why knockout football can be so cruel — and so thrilling.

Cape Verde Nearly Beat Argentina

Cape Verde is a small group of islands off the west coast of Africa. Their population is just over 500,000 people. They had never played at a World Cup before 2026. Their opponents in the Round of 32 were Argentina — the defending world champions, led by Lionel Messi.

Cape Verde were not afraid. Messi scored first for Argentina in the 29th minute. But Cape Verde equalised through Deroy Duarte. Argentina scored again in extra time through Lisandro Martínez. Cape Verde equalised again. The incredible match went deep into extra time before an Argentine header — helped by a deflection off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges — finally ended their dream. The final score was Argentina 3, Cape Verde 2.

The Cape Verde goalkeeper, Vozinha, became one of the heroes of the tournament. In the group stage, he had made 15 saves against Spain — going viral on social media and gaining millions of new followers. Against Argentina, he made save after save to keep his team in the match.

When the final whistle blew, Cape Verde's players cried. But their fans, and millions of neutral supporters around the world, applauded them. The smallest nation ever to play at a World Cup had come within minutes of one of the greatest upsets in football history.

France Look Unstoppable

While other matches went to extra time and shootouts, France's Round of 32 match against Sweden on 30 June was much more straightforward. France won 3-0, and they made it look easy.

Kylian Mbappé scored twice — his fifth and sixth goals of the tournament. He is now the joint leading scorer alongside Argentina's Messi. France's third goal came from Ousmane Dembélé, who had earlier scored a hat trick in the final group game against Norway.

France look very strong. They defend well, they run quickly, and they have world-class players in every position. Mbappé is in the best form of his life. He is fast, skilful, and composed in front of goal. Many football experts are now saying France are the team most likely to win the 2026 World Cup.

France's next match is in the Round of 16 against Paraguay. After seeing what Paraguay did to Germany, France know they cannot relax. But for now, everything is going very well for Les Bleus — the Blues.

Glossary

These words are from the article. Learn them before or after you read.

Word / Phrase	Definition
round of 32	the first knockout round of this World Cup, where 32 teams play 16 matches
penalty shootout	a way to decide a match after a draw — each team takes turns shooting at goal from the penalty spot
extra time	two extra periods of 15 minutes played when a knockout match is tied after 90 minutes
stoppage time	added time at the end of each half to make up for pauses in the game
grief	the deep sadness you feel after losing someone you love
debutant	a team or player taking part in a competition for the first time
comeback	when a team that is losing manages to draw or win the match
VAR	Video Assistant Referee — a system that uses video to check important decisions made by the referee
spot kick	another word for a penalty kick
dark horse	a team that is not expected to do well but surprises everyone
equalise	to score a goal that makes the score level again
advance	to move forward to the next round of a competition

Vocabulary Exercise

Choose the correct word or phrase from the box to complete each sentence. Each word or phrase is used once.

Word Box

1. Paraguay were not expected to do well, but they shocked Germany and became a real __________________ in the tournament.

2. Cape Verde were a World Cup __________________ — it was their very first time playing at the tournament.

3. Morocco scored in __________________ — in the very last seconds of the 90 minutes — to level the match against the Netherlands.

4. Cody Gakpo played in a state of deep __________________ after the loss of his unborn son two days before the match.

5. Belgium were losing 2-0 with five minutes to play. Their __________________ was one of the most dramatic in World Cup history.

6. The referee checked the decision using __________________ before giving Belgium the penalty in extra time.

7. After 90 minutes, the score was level, so the teams played __________________ — two extra periods of 15 minutes each.

8. Cape Verde managed to __________________ twice against Argentina, making the score level both times.

9. All 16 winners from the Round of 32 will __________________ to the Round of 16.

10. The match went all the way to a __________________ , where players take turns shooting from the penalty spot.

Answers Below:

Answer Key

1. dark horse

2. debutant

3. stoppage time

4. grief

5. comeback

6. VAR

7. extra time

8. equalise

9. advance

10. penalty shootout